Real Estate

Companies, municipalities, real estate developers and individuals have all called on Wallace Saunders for assistance with various types of commercial, residential, multifamily and land development projects.

Our Real Estate Practice Group can assist you in the buying, selling or transferring of property, including 1031 like-kind, tax-free exchanges. We can assist you with all requirements for leasing and managing properties – creating and reviewing contracts, leases, promissory notes, mortgages and contracts for deed. Additionally, when the need arises, we can guide landowners through land-use and zoning hurdles. In the event of a formal dispute or lawsuit, our experienced staff of litigators can represent you in real estate matters whether in court, mediation or arbitration.

Successful real estate transactions result from effective management and proper handling of the entire process, from the transaction itself, to financing, tax ramifications, and land-use and zoning matters. Depend on the experience of Wallace Saunders’ Real Estate Practice Group to deliver.

Alyssa Brockert is well-known by her peers for the focused and individualized attention she gives every client, as well as her out-of-the-box approach to problem-solving. Alyssa has a diverse background and experience in a wide variety of legal matters, with a particular and specialized focus on estate planning and trusts and long-term care planning. Alyssa understands the strain placed on families when a loved one requires long-term care, and appreciates the role she gets to play in lessening the burden by helping these families navigate a complex administrative and legal process.

In more than 40 years of service at Wallace Saunders, James Butler has done it all – from winning awards like the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory’s highest “AV” rating for lawyers, to helping us shape and refine the firm into the office it is today. He was a founding member of the Business Practice Group, and he continues to guide the firm’s direction as a member of the Management Committee.

Leilani Leighton is a lightning bolt of fresh energy, igniting passion and creativity at Wallace Saunders. She brings a new perspective to the firm and is sought after for her sharp, detailed eye and legal IQ.

Mark McFarland is a model example of the Wallace Saunders proactive approach. A partner, he’s extremely active in the community, with membership in the Knights of Columbus, the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce and several other organizations. Mark embodies the kind of community involvement and professional betterment that’s typical of our partners.

Mark McKinzie is a partner at Wallace Saunders. He is managing director of the firm. He continues to lead the firm as a member of the management committee and chairman of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. For 10-plus years, he has earned the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory's highest “AV” rating and continues to be honored by KC Business Magazine as a Five Star Professional in estate planning.

During his 40-year career with Wallace Saunders, Rod has gained extensive experience in a number of professional practice areas. These include Construction and Design, Business, Corporate and Real Estate. His practice concentrates on the representation of architects, engineers, contractors and developers’ general business interests in contracting, risk management, professional errors and omissions defense, claims and dispute resolution.

The Banking and Financial Services group believes the simple edict that “time is money and money is time.” This concept drives our responsive, practical counsel in all matters of financing. We are dedicated to resolving our clients’ disputes in a no-nonsense manner.

Business litigation requires a unique blend of business-specific knowledge and litigation experience. Wallace Saunders has both the knowledge and the experience to protect and move your business forward. Our Business Litigation attorneys handle litigation matters across a broad spectrum of professions and industries.

The world of construction is comprehensive, collaborative and highly detailed. The same can be said of our approach to construction law. Legal regulations, city and state codes, federal guidelines, environmental issues – there’s a litany of laws and parameters that seems never-ending.

The Wallace Saunders Corporate Practice group focuses on three primary areas: entity formation, operations guidance and assisting in the sale of your business.

Accurate entity formation can have a major impact on your liability exposure as well as substantial tax consequences. It’s important to have appropriate control features in the establishing documents for your entity to ensure your ability to run your company in the manner you see fit.

Everyone knows someone who has encountered law enforcement. Criminal charges and investigations often bring anxiety and uncertainty to the accused and his or her family. For this reason, it is essential to promptly find an experienced partner who can guide you through the legal process. The attorneys of Wallace Saunders’ Criminal Litigation Group are here to help. We provide our clients with the clarity needed to understand the criminal law processes and protect our clients by finding the best solutions based on their needs.

Architects, engineers, construction managers, licensed site professionals and their firms have long relied on the Design Professionals Group at Wallace Saunders for comprehensive legal services. Our experienced team can handle any legal need that may arise, including regulatory and professional liability claims, advice concerning professional liability insurance, and representation in fee and contractual disputes with clients. Our highly experienced trial lawyers have represented clients in jury and nonjury cases, in both state and federal courts across the country.

The ever-changing landscape of human resources law is dizzying. It can be difficult for any HR team or business owner to keep pace. Whether your HR department is small, large or transitioning, the Employment Practice Group at Wallace Saunders works in tight cooperation with you. We take pride in partnership, collaborating closely to provide legal representation and counsel in a capacity that best serves your needs.

Quick advisers and zealous defenders for healthcare-based institutions and individuals, the Healthcare Group at Wallace Saunders offers something few healthcare groups can – all of our lawyers have been with the group for an average of 20 years. So you know you’re getting experienced healthcare counsel with long-standing client relationships.

Insurance issues can escalate from simple to complex quickly, and you need attorneys able to handle it all. With Wallace Saunders, you can rest assured the attorneys in our Insurance Practice Group have a command of insurance law and litigation. In fact, the firm was founded more than 50 years ago with insurance at the core of our practice.

Founded as a litigation firm in 1963, our attorneys carry on our tradition of substantial deposition and courtroom experience, with hands-on training that begins early in every attorney’s career. The litigation department is the largest practice area at Wallace Saunders, with more than half of our attorneys working under the Litigation Practice Area umbrella.

Understanding the nuances of Product Liability law and the significant exposure for clients involved in product litigation is a service not every firm can offer. Our experience representing manufacturers, distributors and retailers gives you the advantage of leveraging strategic planning with trial skills in this complex and dynamic area of law.

Most professionals regularly handle situations where they cannot guarantee specific results for their clients or patients. This makes them vulnerable to professional liability lawsuits. Choosing the right attorney to defend such lawsuits is critical. Additionally, the best defense against professional liability claims begins before a claim ever gets filed.

Companies, municipalities, real estate developers and individuals have all called on Wallace Saunders for assistance with various types of commercial, residential, multifamily and land development projects.

When it comes to trucking and transportation, our attorneys are with you from the start, emphasizing early response to losses. Our trucking and transportation attorneys are on call 24/7 to respond to serious accidents and emergencies by visiting accident scenes to gather and preserve evidence. This helps lay the groundwork for a careful investigation and vigorous claim defense. We have an established emergency response protocol, and will work with a team of accident reconstructionists, field investigators, and criminal defense attorneys, when needed, to immediately respond to trucking and other transportation accidents and emergencies.

Preservation and protection. The premises are simple. Navigating them can be complex. At Wallace Saunders, we focus on details, turning every stone to preserve your hard-earned wealth. We protect you, your family and your business. To us, it’s more than a job – it’s a duty we take to heart.

Backed by 50 years of successfully defending the largest insurance companies in the country, the Workers’ Compensation Group at Wallace Saunders prides itself on personal service – when you hire a partner in the group, you get that partner. And you get a no-nonsense approach to defending employers in the area of workers’ compensation.

On Friday, June 8, 2018, the Kansas Supreme Court decided Atkins v. Webcon and signaled an important change for determining whether accidents that occur while workers are out of town for employment-related purposes are compensable.

The relevant facts of the case are that the claimant and others were required to travel and stay in Enid, Oklahoma on a construction project. They took a company vehicle and their accommodations were provided by the employer. The hotel in which claimant and other co-workers were staying, though, was without a hotel bar. Claimant ventured across the street and went to a hotel that did have a hotel bar. He stayed until past two in the morning before attempting to cross the street to his hotel. Unfortunately, he was struck by a car driven by an intoxicated driver and sustained severe injuries.

Kansas Court of Appeals Rules the 6th Edition of The AMA Guides is Unconstitutional as to Francisco Pardo

On Friday, June 1, 2018, the Kansas Court of Appeals published its decision in Francisco Pardo v. UPS. This case had been the subject of great scrutiny, as the issues raised challenged the very constitutionality of the Kansas Workers Compensation Act.

Mr. Pardo suffered a rotator cuff injury in 2013 in a work-related accident. In March 2015, he injured the same shoulder in a separate work-related accident. The second injury was not related to the first injury and involved a different part of the rotator cuff than was previously injured.